The invention relates to the field of handheld video game controllers and wireless data transmission between the controllers and an electronic game device. More particularly, the invention relates to a low power wireless system integrating digital, analog, radio frequency (RF) and firmware devices to transmit control and data packets between different game controller devices and electronic game devices.
Electronic game programs operate on various electronic game devices. Electronic games use software and hardware devices to simulate game situations and experiences through visual, audio and mechanical stimuli. User interaction with these games is provided through a hand operated controller which permits the person to change the game direction or response and also to receive mechanical, audio or visual feedback from the game device. Many electronic games are fast moving and draw the user into fast moving responses which integrate the person into the game. Popular games require fast reflexive responses to the game situation and format and require the transmission of large data sets. Any interruption of such games is disruptive to the person""s enjoyment and is highly undesirable.
Different competing vendors distribute multiple controller types incompatible with other game systems. Manufacturing companies plan system incompatibility to preclude operation of competing games on the system architecture. Conventional game controllers are typically hard wired to a hardware controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,053 to Garrido, (1995) described an electrical method for re-routing electric signals from a video game controller by a wired connection to a video game system. This system attempted to fit a fixed controller type to multiple games for a specific target video game system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,701 to Bouton et al. (1996) described a hard wire video game system with a fixed,controller configuration wherein the functions of the controllers can be reconfigured to suit an individual user""s preference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,267 to Bouton et al., (1995) described a wired controller for game system configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,194 to Sanderson et al., (2000) described a hard wired controller wherein controller functions could be reconfigured to suit an individual user""s preference and to match the supported functions to target game applications.
Wired controllers are capable of reliable and fast signal communication, however such controllers require wires leading from the controller to the electronic game device. Wires not only limit the operating mobility of the user relative to the electronic game device but they also present a safety hazard because they can be tripped over.
To avoid the disadvantages inherent in wired systems, certain game control systems transmit data signals using infrared (xe2x80x9cIRxe2x80x9d) emitters and detectors. IR technology is conventionally used in remote control devices for televisions, stereos, and garage door openers. IR technology is undesirable for video game control because a moving person or pet can interrupt the communication link between the controller and the electronic game device. A controller using IR technology must be pointed directly at the receiver to maintain the communication link, and transmission can be easily interrupted by the normal movement of the user during game play. Additionally, IR transmission is susceptible to interference from other IR devices and from fluorescent lighting. Although IR light can be modulated, the number of effective communication channels within a single room is limited.
Various handheld game controllers have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,078,789 to Bodenmann et al. (2000) and 5,881,366 to Bodenmann et al. (1999) disclosed an RF wireless gaming system. The data transmission architecture in such systems was inherently limited and prevented additional signals from being transmitted after the system capacity was reached. Another wireless controller was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,505 to Han et al. (1997), which described a two controller infrared wireless system. The Han controller described a fixed controller to electronic game device pairing and was subject to the IR limitations described above.
In addition to IR transmission, other systems have attempted to use radio frequency (xe2x80x9cRFxe2x80x9d) transmission in game environments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,740 to Green et al (1985) disclosed a remote controller system for a video computer game using RF transmission as a communication mechanism. The Green system was for a fixed, application specific controller and electronic game device configuration and did not provide for other uses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,849 to Rutkowski (1998) described a long range signal transmission system which depended on multiple channel transmission frequencies and used a single receiver to poll individual channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,045 to Kagan et al, (1997) described an all-to-all controller gaming network using an arbitrary wireless network (IR, RF or acoustic) and special purpose gaming controllers and did not support multiple types of controllers or electronic game devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,014 to Ogata et al. (1999) described a controller and game system where bidirectional signals are transmitted via a wired interface. International Patent Number WO 99/59289 to Yamamoto et al. (1999) described a controller and game system where bidirectional signals are transmitted via a wired interface and where several wired controller types are supported.
Different data protocols have been developed to facilitate data transmission wirelessly. For example, Bluetooth Specification version 1.0B, an open standard promoted by the international Bluetooth Consortia, defines a short distance voice and data wireless data transfer system providing master/slave relationships, polling, frequency hopping and signaling.
The invention provides a modular architecture for short range, radio frequency wireless system for operating an electronic game device. The system comprises a base transceiver engaged with the game device, a controller for transmitting RF wireless signals to the base transceiver, wherein said controller has selected operating characteristics transmittable by the RF wireless signals, a microprocessor engaged with the base transceiver for receiving said RF wireless signals, wherein the microprocessor is capable of identifying the selected operating characteristics of the controller and of modifying operation in response to such selected operating characteristics.